Monorail structure



May 8, 1923. 1,454,804, T. H. WRIGHT MONORAIL STRUCTURE Filed Sept, 15, 1922 II II /N V'E-NTOR v THOMAS H. WRIGHT "7 ATT'YS.

tremely simple, durableai1d efficient con-1 to eliminate friction and insure ofthe'e'asy Patented May 8, 1923.

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hppl ication'filed September 15,1922; serial no. 5ss;4aoi 1 To azzahma may concern:

a citizen ofthe United States, residing {at Los Angeles; in the countyof-Lost-Angeles and State-of California, have'invented new and useful Improvements in' Monorail Struc tures of which thejfollow'ingis a specification. V

My invention relates to monorail structures, and a purpose of my invention is the provision of a monorail structure of exstr'uc'tiom and which includes. means "for effectively bracing a car against lateral movement when traversing the monorail so that the car is at all times perfectly balanced propulsion of the car with. a' m'inimum amount of power. v 5

Although I have "herein shown and described only one form of monorail structure embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is'a view showing in end elevation one form of monorail structure embodying my invention and having applied fixed to shafts or axles 29, the latter being thereto one form of car.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car and monorail structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts my invention in its present embodiment comprises main supporting beams 15 arranged at regular intervals and sustained in vertical position by. means of brace bars 16 connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of the beams 15 and diverging to spaced points where they are connected at their lower ends to ties 17. Sustained upon the beams 15 are longitudinally extending beams or ties 18, and secured upon the beams '18 is a monorail 19.

A rack 20 is also secured to the beams 18' and is disposed in spaced parallel relation to the rail 19 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

The brace bars 16 support ties or beams 23 m carried by vertically disposedshafts 24 movably sustained "on a' car adapted for.

movement over theimonorail. The shafts in turn are journaled in substantially H-shaped yoke carriages 2 1*, the parallel portions of which are shdably mounted in yokes 2f -sustained atth'e under sideofthe've'hicle body.

Coiled expansibl'e springs 24 are mounted upon the parallel portions of the carriages 24 and are interposedbetween-one portion of the: yoke and w'ashers 24 sowthat the springs normally'urge=- the carriages in the. 9

direction of the rails 22 to cause the-rollers 23 to have a'yieldingcontact with the rails. i

The car, in the present instance; comprises a-' body 25' which. is relatively wide, and which as shown in Fig. 1; is provided cen trally thereof with a longitudinally extendi ing opening 26 to] allow-for the accommodatio'n *offthe upper part of the monorailstruc' ture. This opening 26 communicates at its lower end with an inverted V-shaped open ing 27 designed to accommodate the divergingbrace bars 16, as will be understood. The shafts 24 of the rollers 23 depend from the lower side of the car body 25, and as shown,

the rollers are disposed to contact with the outer sides of the rails 22. I

The car is supported for movement on the monorail 19 by'means of grooved Wheels 28 arranged adjacent the opposite ends of the car body 25, asindicated in dotted lines in- Fig. 2. Each shaft 29 is provided with a worm gear 30 which constantly meshes with a Worm 31, and the two worms 31 are adapted to be driven simultaneously through the medium of a motor designated generally at 32. Each shaft 29 also carries a spur gear 33 which constantly meshes with the rack bar or rail 20 so as to provide. a positive driving connection in effecting a propulsion of the car.

In operation, the entire weight of the car is actually supported by the monorail 19,

and properly distributed by the arrange- I ment of the grooved wheels 28. The guide rollers 23 engage with the rollers 22 to prevent any lateral swaying of the car body during movement of the car over the monorail, and because the rollers have rolling contact with therails, it will be clear that any lateral movement of the car is prevented without undue friction. The rack'rail 20 being engaged by the spur gears 33 naturally provides a positive driving means for the car thus eliminating-the necessityof depending upon traction between the monorail and the Wheels 28. This naturally permits of the provision of a relatively small monorail, and Wheels 28 having relatively narrow pe ripheries. I

The arrangement of the beams and durable supporting structure for the monorail *19 so' that the latter is'capable of accommodating the cars of relatively great Weight, or cars carrying relatively heavy loads.

lVhat I claim is:

- 1. A monorail structure comprising spacedties, vertically disposed beams supported on the ties, horizontally disposed beams connecting the vertical beams and adapted to adjacent beam, andrails secured to the plane, guiderails sustained in a planebe- 10W the monorail and at opposite sides of the latter,- and a car including a body conandbars is such as to provide an extremely strong structed to accommodate the monorail at a point Within the body,,' and Wheels bodily movable by the car body and engaging said guide rails and means, for constantly and yieldably urgingthe Wheels into engagement with the guide rails.

3. A monorail car comprising a body, yokes secured to the body, H-shaped carriages slidably mounted in the yokes, rollers journaled at the yokes at the confronting ends thereof, and .yieldable means for urging the yokes toward each other.

- 4. In combination, a monorail structure including a monorail and guide rails at opposite sides of the monorail, a car includingabody, Wheels bodily movable by the car body, and means for constantly and yieldably urging the Wheels into engagement with the guide rails. g y

5. A monorail car comprising a body, yokes secured to the body, H-shaped .carriages slidably mounted in the yokes, rollers journaled in the yokes at the confronting ends thereof, and springs for urging-the yokes toward each other for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS H. WRIGHT. 

